Adjustable leverage tool



Nov. 10, 1964 R. s. WOLF 3,1

ADJUSTABLE LEVERAGE TOOL Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBE/77' .5. WOLFBY WWSW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,156,143 ADJUSTABLE LEVERAGE TOOLRobert S. Wolf, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Holiday Frosted Food Co.,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 16, 1962,Ser. No. 209,984 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-177) This invention, in general,relates to a new and improved adjustable leverage tool and, moreparticularly, to an adjustable leverage tool which may be utilized in avariety of positions in accordance with the needs of the user.

In the past, tools such as lug wrenches have come in either an L-shapeor a form of T-shape to provide a given leverage for the user of thetool. With the L-shaped wrench, it was usually diflicult to obtainenough torque as well as vertical pressure on the nut to be worked on.With the T-shaped wrench, there were many places where the extra handlewould make it impossible to use the wrench properly.

It is the general object of this invention to avoid and overcome theforegoing and other difficulties of the prior art practices by theprovision of a new and better adjustable leverage tool.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable leveragetool which may be utilized as an L or T-shaped wrench.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and betteradjustable leverage tool which can be used to impart direct force aswell as torque to the object worked on.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable leveragetool which is simple in construction and easy to adjust.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of the adjustable leverage wrenchshown in FIGURE 1 taken along lines 2-2.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the wrench of FIGURE 1 shown utilizedas a T-wrench.

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial view of a second embodiment of the presentinvention in one of its operative positions.

In the drawings, the adjustable leverage wrench of the present inventionhas been generally designated by the numeral 10. Like numerals in thedrawings indicate like parts of the invention.

The adjustable leverage wrench includes an extended bifurcated pivotalhandle 12 and a main L-shaped tool assembly 14. In the drawings, thetool 14 has been shown as an L-shaped wrench although it can easily beunderstood that any other working head for a tool might be substitutedfor the tool head of the wrench 14.

The bifurcated handle 12 consists of two flat extending pieces 18defining an open-ended slot 20 in the handle 12. The wrench 14 has aflatextendable handle portion 22 which is adapted to fit within the slot 28in the bifurcated handle 12. The handle 22 is pivotally secured to theextensions 16 and 18 by means of a headed bolt 24.

The wrench 14 also includes asocket 26 for receiving lugs therein. Thesocket 26 is integral with the handle 7 22 through a flat head portion28. The thickness of the fiat head portion 28 is equal to the thicknessof the handle 22.

3,156,143 Patented Nov. 10., 1964 The bolt 24 has two heads 28 and 30which engage extensions 16 and 18 respectively to hold them in placeagainst the handle 22.

When the wrench of the present invention is used in the position shownin FIGURE 1, it is operative as an L-wrench and the leverage or torqueto be exerted on the lug by the wrench is determined by the distancebetween the head 28 and the position on the handle 12 that the force isapplied. It should be noted that in this position, the length of theleverage arm can be the entire length of the handle 12 plus half thewidth of the head 28.

In FIGURE 2, the handle 12 has been pivoted about bolt 24 180 so as toform a T-wrench with the head 28 being placed between the bifurcatedextensions 16 and 18 and the slot 29. In this position, if force isapplied both to the handle 22 and the handle 12, a greater moment isable to be exerted than was possible when the wrench was in the positionshown in FIGURE 1.

The end of the handle 12 is now exactly the same distance from socket 26as the end of the handle 14 is from the socket 26. The handle 12 ispreferably made of a material such as cast iron which is not flexible.Therefore, the bifurcated extensions 16 and 18 will not flex when amoment is applied to the wrench, and therefore there is matingengagement between the bifurcated extensions 16 and 13 and the wrench 14for a distance including the width of the head 28 and that portion ofthe handle 22 which is covered by the extensions 16 and 18. If there isany tendency on the part of the extensions 16 and 18 to flex, the boltheads 28 and 30 will prevent such flexing.

In FIGURE 4, there is shown a second embodiment of the present inventionin which the socket portion of the L-shaped wrench 14 has been replacedby a suitable socket receiving extension. The new L-shaped tool isdesignated by the numeral 30 and has a socket receiving portion 32 withnodular balls 34 thereon which act to lock replaceable sockets 36 on thesocket receiving portion 32.

The bifurcated handle 12 shown in FIGURE 4 is exactly the same as thehandle 12. shown in FIGURES l and 3. The handle 12 is shown as movedwith respect to the tool 3%. In this position, the user of theadjustable leverage wrench can apply force in the direction of thesocket receiving end 32 while applying torque by means of the tool 3t).

Thus, the objects of this invention have been accomplished by theprovision of an adjustable leverage tool which can be used as anL-shaped wrench, a T-shaped wrench, or a tool capable of applying forcein the direction of the socket while torque is applied.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

1 claim:

1. An adjustable leverage tool comprising a main L- shaped tool, saidtool including an elongated handle, a head depending from one end ofsaid handle in perpendicular relationship to said handle, an extensionhandle, means for pivotably securing said extension handle to saidelongated tool handle adjacent said head, said extension handle having aslot therein for nesting said tool handle within said extension handlewhen said handles are on the same side of said tool head, said extensionhandle being pivotable from said nested position to a position displaceddegrees therefrom, said extension handle projecting beyond said toolhead when it is displaced 180 degrees from said nested position, andstop means on said tool head for limiting the displacement of saidextension handle to 180 degrees from said nested position.

2. An adjustable leverage tool comprising a main L- shaped tool having ahandle and a head perpendicular to said tool handle, an extensionhandle, means pivotably securing said extension handle to said toolhandle for 180 degree rotation of said extension handle with respect tosaid tool handle, said extension handle having a slot therein fornesting said tool handle within said extension handle when saidextension handle and said tool handle are in the same position relativeto said tool head, said extension handle having bifurcated extensionstherein forming the slot on the handle, said tool handle being adaptedto fit within said slot when said tool handle and extension handle arein the same position relative to said tool head, said pivot meansincluding a bolt passing through said bifurcated extensions and saidtool handle, said bolt being spaced from said head whereby when saidextension handle has been moved 180 degrees with respect to said toolhandle, said bifurcated extensions are in area contact with said head,the distance between the end of said extension handle and said tool headwhen said extension handle has been moved 180 with respect to said toolhandle being equal to the distance between said tool head and the end ofsaid tool handle.

3. The adjustable leverage tool of claim 2 wherein said head has anenlarged portion, said head enlarged portion limiting said extensionhandle to 180 rotation with respect to said tool handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS428,662 Bartlett May 27, 1890 821,328 Bartlett May 22, 1907 849,891Ellingson Apr. 9, 1907 1,034,383 Bronson July 30, 1912 1,301,802Anderson Apr. 29, 1919 1,597,747 Werrnes Aug. 31, 1926 1,614,426 DesRosiers Jan. 11, 1927 1,776,928 Potts Sept. 20, 1930 2,475,268 WittleJuly 5, 1949 2,729,996 Shoewald Jan. 10, 1956

1. AN ADJUSTABLE LEVERAGE TOOL COMPRISING A MAIN LSHAPED TOOL, SAID TOOLINCLUDING AN ELONGATED HANDLE, A HEAD DEPENDING FROM ONE END OF SAIDHANDLE IN PERPENDICULAR RELATIONSHIP TO SAID HANDLE, AN EXTENSIONHANDLE, MEANS FOR PIVOTABLY SECURING SAID EXTENSION HANDLE TO SAIDELONGATED TOOL HANDLE ADJACENT SAID HEAD, SAID EXTENSION HANDLE HAVING ASLOT THEREIN FOR NESTING SAID TOOL HANDLE WITHIN SAID EXTENSION HANDLEWHEN SAID HANDLES ARE ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID TOOL HEAD, SAID EXTENSIONHANDLE BEING PIVOTABLE FROM SAID NESTED POSITION TO A POSITION DISPLACED180 DEGREES THEREFROM, SAID EXTENSION HANDLE PROJECTING BEYOND SAID TOOLHEAD WHEN IT IS DISPLACED 180 DEGREES FROM SAID NESTED POSITION, ANDSTOP MEANS ON SAID TOOL HEAD FOR LIMITING THE DISPLACEMENT OF SAIDEXTENSION HANDLE TO 180 DEGREES FROM SAID NESTED POSITION.